In the specific historic and geographic context of French Guiana, which has significant mineral resources in an exceptional ecosystem, gold mining is a central environmental and development issue.
It often generates tensions in the territory, especially between the intensification (of both legal and illegal) gold mining and environment and biodiversity protection public policies.
The book “History and environmental impacts of gold mining in French Guiana”, published in july 2020, provides keys to better understand this phenomenon.
It also initiates, in a factual manner, an analysis about the future of gold mining practices in the area.
This document is edited under of the Collection : “Comprendre pour agir” (Understanding for Action) by the French Office for Biodiversity (OFB), in collaboration with The French Guiana Water Office (OEG) and the General Directorate for Territories and the Sea (DGTM).
Find this book in the following link:
And on the site: https://professionnels.ofb.fr/fr/doc-comprendre-agir/histoire-impacts-environnementaux-lorpaillage-en-guyane-clefs-comprehension